Tholos Foundation Highlights Harm Reduction in Letter to Irish Health Minister Donnelly

This morning, the Tholos Foundation sent a letter to Ireland’s Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, sharing concerns about potential vape flavor ban legislation in Ireland. Banning flavored nicotine vaping products hurts public health by increasing smoking and weakens national security because of increased illicit market activity.

“Following the Oireachtas Health Committee report that recommended banning flavors in nicotine-containing vaping products, we felt this this outreach was urgent and necessary to encourage Ireland to pursue harm reduction, rather than prohibition,” said Karl Abramson, the author of the letter and Tholos’ Consumer Issues Fellow.

“The evidence shows us that flavors are critical for smoking cessation among adult smokers. Vape flavor ban proponents believe they are helping the youth but ignore evidence that shows banning flavors leads to drastic increases in youth smoking.”

“Tholos-commissioned polling by Ipsos in Estonia, where flavors are banned, found that 60% of vapers still use prohibited flavors. 42% of these consumers purchase their products on the black market, where vapes are untested, unregulated, and sold by international crime syndicates with connections to terrorism.”

“Vaping is safer than smoking and the most effective way to help people who smoker quit. There is great potential for e-cigarettes to save hundreds of thousands of Irish lives as one in five Irish adults smoke cigarettes daily. Irish lawmakers have a duty to their citizens to follow the evidence when making decisions regarding public health. Vape flavor bans lack scientific justification and are a proven way to increase smoking-related harms.”

The full letter can be read here.